Survival of the Smartest
by Tiffany Smithi
Summary: Eir manages to survive, and her presence benefits the Commander's group wonderfully. They make their way through the jungle in record time, but the Blighting Trees are having worrying effects on Logan and Zojja. That's not to mention Trahearne's predicament... which is to say, uncertain.
1. Chapter 1: Prisoners of the Dragon

SURVIVAL OF THE SMARTEST

* * *

Story Summary: Faolain likes thorns. But Eir has a flash of insight and... boom. Or maybe it's just recalling that the only thing she'd be able to do if she ever got out was maybe lie on the ground. She'd thought that one up before the Commander ever got there. So perhaps she just has a good memory.

* * *

Chapter one: Prisoners of the Dragon

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

Yes. I posted a different story. It didn't impact my other story posting, though, did it? See, I have a limited amount of time before a computer/laptop/phone screen for health reasons (I can _not_ sleep within two to four hours of being on a device for a length of time... I know, right?) so I wrote this in that time. By hand. Yes, I wrote it out by hand.

And then, in the recent 'I-need-feedback-I'm-waiting-on-you' interval, I put it on the laptop because what if Laura or Vinn or even Eden gets to my notebook? Umm, no thanks.

So, here you go!

Of course, being written by hand, it's not nearly as good as the ones I write solely on the laptop - which is okay, because I can't copy+paste, I'll have to copy by hand. Only, type not write. Anyway.

The hand-written version is not in one tense. Meaning, I'll switch between two tenses a lot. But I hope that problem will be eradicated when I type it (I've got a pretty solid present-tense habit by now, yay me!).

Oh, and HoT spoilers starting in _Prisoners of the Dragon_.

Annnyway...

 _ **Okay, here's the story now...**_

* * *

Eir is studiously ignoring her cell-mate. Well, not entirely. _That_ would have been foolish. Faolain is a formidable enemy, or at least one to reckon with, even captured and unarmed. Eir is, of course, more than a match for Faolain (even though Eir is also captured and unarmed) for the simple fact that norn _just_ so happen to be physically stronger and larger than sylvari, at least generally speaking. I mean, it's not every day a sylvari beats a norn, now is it?

But, both of them are wounded and starving, and so who knows how that fight might turn out.

So, Eir is watching Faolain out of the corner of her eye, and has no doubt that Faolain is doing the same.

There had been no food or water for days, and Eir is wondering if she'll be able to go anywhere if she - Eir shakes her head violently to clear the thought, startling Faolain badly. ' _Not if - when. When I am rescued_ ,' Eir thinks firmly to herself.

She studies the landscape on the other side of the vine wall that makes up the tiny Mordrem cell. Two asura shouldn't have been able to fit inside, yet somehow both she and Faolain manage it.

It is mostly open space outside of the cell. Eir idly begins thinking up random scenarios for her rescue along with mitigating curcimstances, and what she would be able to do about them in her condition.

She shifts slightly, and winces as her cramped muscles protest the movement. She grimaces, and decides that even if she is rescued without any mishaps, she won't be going anywhere for a bit.

Eir snorts to herself. _As if_ there'd be no mishaps.

"Are you _trying_ to attract Mordrem attention, Stegalkin?" Faolain hisses. "Stop making noise,"

"It might make them realize we're here, and feed us," Eir retorts, but remains quiet.

Faolain glares at her.

As the day passes, the heat from the jungle sun just gets more intense, but still, on schedule, a different pair of Mordrem walks by the cell, on patrol. Every ten minutes. It is routine.

Every ten minutes, a different pair of Mordrem passes. The same pair passes by every hour, in order.

Then, the double pair that normally comes by doesn't show. Neither do the next couple patrols. Half and hour after the first patrol missed, Eir estimates, (although she has no way of knowing exactly, the Mordrem patrols had been her clock) she hears the next one coming. She hopes they ignore her, like normal. She stays still and quiet.

Then, she sees the Commander hurrying down the path. Braham is there, as well as - is that Rytlock? Eir squints at him. He is wearing a blindfold and is carrying Sohothin. Eir is impressed he'd gotten it back - or returned at all.

"A rescue party..." Eir breaths. "Then Wolf did hear me, in here..." she speaks to the rescue group: "they're starving us, no food or water for days."

"That's because Moredremoth doesn't care if we're alive or dead when it plugs us into a Blighting Tree," Faolain snarls scathingly. "Release us. Now!"

"Faolain?" the Commander says in surprise. "Why is Mordremoth locking up so many Nightmare Courtiers?"

"You know nothing of the Court," Faolain replies imperiously. "We seek freedom, and Mordremoth's yoke is even more onerous than the Pale Tree's."

"Forget her," Eir says desperately. "Just get me out! The Mordrem took Logan and Zojja and Trahearne deeper into the jungle, and I don't know why."

"Hang on, Mother," Braham says, viciously attacking the vine cage. "We're about to bust you out of here."

Faolain and Canach are having a conversation,* but Eir is glancing over the landscape with a worried frown. This had happened way too easily. Just as the network of vines surrounding Eir and Faolain comes undone, Eir sees movement in the underbrush, and tenses, right as a large Vinetooth launches towards the group.

She barely hears Braham's frantic "run!" or Rytlock's "head to the overpass!". The only reason she has any chance of getting away is her split-second sooner warning. She is running, ignoring the protests of her cramped muscles as she moves for the first time in days.

A vine snakes out ahead, in front of Faolain, tripping and trapping her. Eir pushes the vine aside with a hasty "we have to keep moving," but Faolain swiftly snatches a thorn from the now-limp vine, and stabs Eir viciously.

The wound is not deep, nor is it fatal, but it is very painful. Eir's hand closes around the thorn, intending to finish the now-fleeing sylvari, but rationality catches up to her - she had never had any time for Faolain, even to help her up - the Vinetooth is almost upon her.

She lets out a painful, agonizing groan, and collapses on the ground, landing heavily. She does not move.

Faolain turns to laugh gleefully at Eir's prone body, which is her undoing - a gigantic vine whips out from the jungle and carries a screaming Faolain away.

With a scream of rage (and no Faolain to vent it on) Braham charges at the vinetooth, followed by the rest of the team.

When Eir had collapsed, the Vinetooth had changed direction, now heading right for the rest of the group. It and Braham face each other head-on.

It isn't an even fight. Eight-one odds never is.

The moment the Vinetooth is dead, Braham rushes to Eir's side.

"Is it dead?" Eir whispers cautiously, half opening one eye.

"Eir? You're alright!" the Commander asks in surprise.

"I'm fine - well, relatively," Eir says, getting unsteadily to her feet. "What?" she asks, looking at her rescuer's shocked and relieved expressions. "Never heard of playing dead?"

"That's great, Eir! Brilliant!" the Commander says at last.

"Where's Garm?" Eir asks.

Everyone blinks. Rytlock's eyes snap to where Garm usually stands, by Eir's side, and back again.

"Wasn't he with you?" Braham asks.

"On the airship? Yes. But I don't think the Mordrem took him," Eir replies.

"Will he be alright on his own?" Taimi asks. Then she blinks, as if an odd thought had occured to her.

"He should be, he can manage on his own," Eir replies, but she still looks worried.

"Let's just get out of here," Rytlock says.

"I agree. Our work here is done." the Commander replies.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

Wow. One short chapter. I suppose most will be like this, but then, you're getting them all at once, so you don't really care.

* This normally only happens if you have a sylvari character, but as the sylvari character never interacts with the conversation and it shouldn't have anything to do with whether your character is a sylvari or not, I put it in anyway. The Commander in this story is a human and her class doesn't matter (because it never does in storyline) but she's a ranger. (speaking of the Commander, I tried having the Commander not be me, for once. We'll see how that works out.)

Did I keep everyone in character? I wrote this by hand a while ago, and some things I couldn't understand why I'd written them, and some things I left out altogether.

Anyway. Hope you like it. Review, please.


	2. Chapter 2: Mordrem Trails

SURVIVAL OF THE SMARTEST

* * *

Summary: The group encounters Caithe and Faolain, and Eir... provokes changes. The proper trail is followed (at least by half the group) and the trip to Rata Novus is postponed. What'll happen?

* * *

Chapter two: Mordrem Trails

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

See, one downside to posting all at once is that there _are_ no author's notes, because most author's notes are for the purpose of giving information about the story that might be lacking, from feedback given. But posting all at once means I haven't got any feedback at the time of writing. It's just a bit disconcerting to read a fanfic through and realize - _there weren't any Author's Notes. How crazy is that?_

Annnyway.

 _ **Okay, here's the story now:**_

* * *

"You okay, Eir?" the Commander asks.

Eir and the others of the had gone ahead while the Commander talked to Lieutenant Francis at the Priory camp a ways up the hill.

"I'm fine," Eir replies. "I was a bit sore from being so cramped up in that cell, but that's all. Faolain's thorn didn't impair me any."

"Great. Francis and Ceera told me - indirectly - that Caithe came through just a bit ago, and these golden structures started lighting up just after that."

"You think she has the egg?" Rytlock asks.

"Ceera's description was 'sylvari with a packpack.'" the Commander says dryly.

"So we're going after her?"

"Caithe has the egg, and that egg is very important. I'm not leaving it in anyone else's hands. Let's move." the Commander leads the way down a slop towards a large, golden, tower, where it seems some Priory scholars had set up camp. They are being attacked by Mordrem.

"It's Pact Priory!" Kasmeer says urgently.

"We're on our way!" the Commander replies, running down the slope with the rest of the team behind her.

They easily kill the Mordrem. Then, they see a... being.

"Hello! Glowy person!" Taimi calls, but it disappears.

"Teleported," Rytlock notes.

"Well, obviously..." Taimi replies.

"Quit bickering, you two," the Commander says. "There it is again."

It teleports a ways off, but is still visible.

As the group catches up to it again, Rytlock says "I've had enough of this," and himself teleports in front of the... glowy person with an "identify yourself."

What follows is rather surprising - it turns out that the being - Ruka, one of the Exalted of Tarir - is also tracking Caithe (or, at least, the egg) as well, and he invites them to come along once he realizes they have a common goal.

Taimi elects to stay behind to help the Priory get settled - and learn more about the golden structures that the Priory are studying

"There she is," Rytlock says, upon seeing Caithe.

"And the egg," the Commander agrees.

Caithe is running along the path ahead of them.

Suddenly, a vinetooth appears in the middle of the path.

"You've done well, Caithe," the vinetooth says.

"Faolain?" Caithe says in surprise.

The vinetooth looks over Caithe at the Commander's group. They can now tell it is Faolain - or at least wearing Faolain's face.

"Eir Stegalkin... how good to see you. I thought you were dead," Faolain says tauntingly.

"Dead?" Eir pretends to be surprised. "Oh, no - only scratched. You haven't got my blood on your hands yet."

"What?" Caithe asks, startled.

"Bring the egg to me," Faolain her gaze back to Caithe.

"No! I can only trust myself with it! It's my Wyld Hunt!" Caithe replies desperately.

"We can all trust Mordremoth," Faolain says in a voice intended to be persuasive.

"No!" Caithe cries, stumbling back. "Faolain? What has happened to you?"

Faolain charges at Caithe who turns and runs back the way she came - towards the Commander's group. All of a sudden, a vine trips Caithe. She stumbles, dropping the egg.

The Commander runs forwards and pickes up the egg.

Eir is too far away to hear, but the Commander seems surprised about something. Ruka apparently tells her to follow him, and she does.

Faolain turns in their direction, but Eir fires an arrow at the vinetooth.

"I thought you wanted me dead," she taunts.

Faolain turns back in anger, and the rest of the group attacks. "It seems I still do!" the Faolain-thing roars.

Caithe, who had been trying to slip away unnoticed, pauses.

"Come and get me, then!" Eir challenges. "Or... can't you do what you like, having admitted the dragon into your mind?"

"Mordremoth wants you dead as well!" Faolain snarls, charging forwards a ways.

"Does he? Then why did he keep me alive when I was his prisoner?" Eir retorts. "Are you _sure_ you are interpreting his commands correctly? Is what he wants is this team demoralized or destroyed and you come after me first? Or is it the egg he wants?"

Faolain freezes. With a roar of rage she charges at Eir, but shrinks back to 'sylvari form'.

"Her vinetooth form is dragon-induced, and she just shook him off," Rytlock observes. "Good job, Eir."

"It's her fault she wants me dead," Eir replies.

With a cry of rage and disbelief, Caithe charges at Faolain, knives drawn.

Faolain, a sylvari once more, is no match for the whole team. At last, she surrenders.

"Why, Faolain?" Caithe demands.

"Why, yourself?" Faolain snaps back. "You're the one who denied the Nightmare."

"What has _that_ to do with anything?"

"Everything. Your way of doing things is determined by the Tree and the Tablet!" Faolain snarls.

"Not determined," Caithe corrects. "Merely guided. Whereas the Court isn't guided by anything, let alone morality. I'll take the Tree and the Tablet any day, over what you've become - foul and evil corrupted by the Nightmare."

"Just finish her, Cathe. Mordrem or no, she's still evil." Rytlock advises Caithe.

"You said it yourself, Caithe," Eir adds.

"What about your precious Tablet?" Faolain mocks. "'All things have the right to grow.'"

"But you've stopped growing, Faolain," Caithe says softly. "And things that don't grow are doomed to failure and death. 'Never leave a wrong to ripen into evil or sorrow.'" In a fluid movement, Caithe's knife enters Faolain's heart.

Faolain's eyes widen in shock and horror, before going blank.

"Where'd the Commander go?" Eir asks, trying to divert the subject.

"To bring the egg to safety," says another Exalted, approaching. "Ruka is bringing her to Tarir. She will be tested by the Forgotten, to ensure the egg has chosen a suitable champion. If you wish to wait for her in Tarir, you may."

"No need to halt the mission," Taimi says, approaching the group. "I can leave holodisks directing her the way we've gone."

"Just be sure to make them tamper-proof," Eir warns. "We don't want her getting lost if a Mordrem moves it or fiddles with it or anything."

"Right." Taimi says, blinking. "Of... of course they'll be tamper-proof."

"Right, let's get moving then." Braham says.

"I will tell the Eggbearer your plans," the Exalted says, and... drifts... off.

"Eir, what happened with Faolain? She wanted you dead?" Caithe asks.

"The commander busted us out - the Mordrem had taken us - and then Faolain tried to kill me." Eir replies. "I had to pretend to be dead, or I really would have been killed."

"Why would Faolain do that?" Caithe seems troubled.

"Who knows," Eir responds.

"Let's get moving," Rytlock repeats. "You still on that trail, Rox?"

"Yes, but there's another one as well, more recent."

"I'll follow the old trail," Eir offers. "You can track the other one."

"You're not wandering off alone, Eir," Caithe tells her. "I'll come with you."

"So will I," Braham says.

"I'll come along," Kasmeer agrees. "Marjory will stay with Rox's group."

"Settled, then?" Eir asks. "Right, let's go."

The trails follow roughly the same path, but afte a while, Rox splits off slightly westward while Eir continues directly south.

* * *

After a while, her trail turns west as well, but only to get through a pass, it seems.

Eir had thought Rox would be further along than she is, since Rox took a more direct path, but she comes across Marjory where the paths rejoin.

"Marjory? What are you doing here?" Eir asks in surprise.

"We stopped a moment so Rox could get her bearings." Majory replies. "Meanwhile, Taimi wandered off. What to help look? The Commander should be along soon."

"Sure, I didn't see her on my way here. Is anybody looking back? Maybe she saw something interesting."

"It's worth a shot," Marjory shrugs.

The group scatters, looking for the lost asura.

A while later Marjory approaches Eir. "The Commander wants us to regroup on the path," she says.

"Found Taimi?" Eir asks.

"Not yet, but I think the Commander'll find her. She's got a knack for that sort of thing, you know.* I told her what happened with Caithe and Faolain."

"Well, she's certainly not here." Eir says. "I'm on my way."

A few minutes later, the Commander approaches, with Taimi on her heels.

"Hey, everybody! There's a lost Rata nearby. We _have_ to go there." Taimi says excitedly. "They're doing research on Elder Dragons! They may have magitech to help fight Mordremoth!"

"Rox, Eir, what of Zojja, Logan, and Trahearne's trail?" the Commander asks.

"Back in Tarir, we picked up another trail, and split up to follow it. I don't think the trail I found is theirs. You got anything, Eir?"

"I found signs of a commotion, small footprints, and branches pulled off a nearby tree, which also had 'south - hurry' scratched into the back halfway up, along with other scratches. From the size of the footprints, added to the fact that I doubt any prisoners would have weapons, I think it was Zojja, which tells us that they're still alive and kicking - or at least Zojja is."

"Let's follow this trail, then," the Commander says. "I'm afraid we won't be able to go to Rata Novus, Taimi."

"Of course not," Taimi agrees unexpectedly. "If Zojja says hurry, we _hurry_ ," she says emphatically, in reponse to surprised looks. "We can go to Rata Novus _after_ we rescue them."

"Let's go then, before the trail goes cold," Eir says. "The trail I followed is three days old, and fading fast."

The Commander pales. "Let's move, then." she says.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

I hope I kept Eir and Caithe in character.

If you can't tell, this is from Eir's perspective.

Did having Caithe kill Faolain seem too out of character? I just don't want to have to deal with her later on. And Braham doesn't have any reason to go after her, now - Eir's alive. Although, for intent...

Oh well. I hope you like it.

Longer chapter this time, yay!

Also, ever wonder if anybody in Tyria can read our writing? They mostly use New Krytan, whereas we use English or Spanish or French or whatever. Names probably wouldn't change, although if they use a different alphabet - like how Chinese seems (to us English-speaking folks) like a bunch of squiggly lines, rather than individual letters like English uses. In which case they wouldn't understand English at all. Just a thought. (Because all New Kryta and other languages are translated when we read it, so we've never seen what New Krytan actually looks like.) (Also, Kryta is _one nation_. Why name a world-wide language after one nation?)


	3. Chapter 3: Escaped Prisoners

SURVIVAL OF THE SMARTEST

* * *

Summary: The altered version of _Roots of Terror_.

* * *

Chapter three: Escaped Prisoners

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

Hope you like it!

I can't wait to post this!

 _ **Okay, here's the story now:**_

* * *

As Eir tracks the Mordrem southward, Caithe explains her actions regarding Glint's egg.

"It was my Wyld Hunt - to get to Tarir, preferably with a chosen champion. The Pale Tree impressed upon me heavily the importance of this, and how vital it is that it not fall into the dragon's hands. I felt the importance of the task was suffocating, and I desperately wanted it done and gone, as soon as could be."

"So desperate not to explain?" the Commander asks incredulously.

"I felt I couldn't trust anyone... I was already feeling the Call, faint as it was. I knew not to trust my thoughts, but they still got me cautious and paranoid. I forgot to trust my own advice and _talk_ to people."

"Mordremoth is more dangerous than it seems at first sight," Eir comments.

"Dragons always are," Rytlock says grimly.

"We know," Kasmeer says softly.

"They made camp here for a few hours," Eir says, pausing to inspect a patch of flattened grass, and the freshness of the tracks farther on.

"If we hope to catch up, we can't stop," Caithe says urgently.

* * *

The trail had led the group into a winding cave system.

"This place is a maze!" Eir declares in frustration. "I can't tell if they stopped here or not. This area indicates they did, but the tracks beyond are no fresher."

"There's another trail this way," Braham says, from near a passageway to the northwest.

Eir goes over and inspeacts the tracks. "There's no Mordrem among them, but there are signs of a disturbance on the other side of the cavern, and almost none here. Those marks are by that southeastern passageway, but no tracks lead down it."

"No residual traces of magic, either," Marjory adds.

"Logan and Zojja were here, at least," Rytlock says, quite certain. "They caused this commotion, I'm sure of it. Eir, where does the Mordrem trail continue?"

"Through that southwest tunnel," Eir replies.

"Logan and Zojja were still with the Mordrem when they left," Rytlock confirms.

"Those who escaped through that passage might have some answers," Rox suggests, gesturing to the northwestern tunnel.

"They might," the Commander agrees. "Can you follow the trail?"

"Yes.. but it'll be tough and slow, on this terrain." Rox says doubtfully. "What about you, Eir?"

"Probably," Eir says. "This should be easy enough. This way." *

"How fresh is it?"

"Very. I doubt they got far."

* * *

"There's the camp," Caithe says.

"Commander!" calls a norn in the colors of the Order of Whispers. "the Pact - "

"Crashed, yes." Eir interrupts.

"Eir Stegalkin! I'm glad you're alright. Captain Thackeray, Zojja, and Marshal Trahearne were worried about you." *

"They're not here, I take it?" the Commander says resignedly.

"No. They sacrificed their own chance at freedom so we could escape."

Eir nods. "That fits the tracks."

"You seem to be gearing up for something," Rytlock notes.

"Yes, a large monster keeps attacking us. We're going to try and kill it." **

"Can it wait? Did they leave a message?" Taimi asks.

"Yes and yes. Zojja approached me with a message from the Marshal just before the escape, with instruction to tell no one but the Commander, personally, for fear it would fall into enemy hands."

"And?" Canach asks testily.

"You can trust my companions, Magister," the Commander tells him.

"They say to hurry, that they won't have another chance to escape. Apparently Captain Thackeray overheard the route the Mordrem are taking, and that there's a short cut if you go straight south from the pass to the north, rather than tracking them in the westerly direction. The pass in the mountains to the south is in that direcction it's the only one."

"Thank you, Magister. This information is - "

"Magister, look out!" calls another Whispers agent.

"What is _that_?" Canach asks.

"A giant... bug... thing?" Braham suggests in confusion.

"That's what's been attacking out camp!" the magister declares. "Kill it!"

With the whole team there, plus the Whispers group, the beast is defeated quickly.

"Our problem is dealt with, but you need to hurry and catch up to the Mordrem!" the magister tells the Commander.

"You're sure you'll be okay?"

"We'll be fine," he assures her.

"We'll tell the first Pact camp we come across that you're here," the Commander replies. "Alright team, let's go."

* * *

When they arrive back at the four-way fork where Eir last found signs of Mordrem, the team stops.

"Cut _south_ when the trail leads south _west_?" Kasmeer asks.

"I know, it sounds risky," the Commander agrees. "Let's find a aPact scout - or an Itzel one - and see if it _is_ the only southern pass, and the quickest way to it."

"There was that Whispers camp a ways back, near the northern pass," Rox suggests. "They're sure to have charted the area extensively."

"Great. We'll go there, then." the Commander decides.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

Yes, short chapters, but... it's the best place to stop. I stop in good places.

And I _still_ haven't got the slightest idea what to _name_ the fanfic! 'Course, by the time you read it, it'll have a name... but still... or it might not. I could always name it 'no idea what to name this' or 'Eir doesn't die' but you know, I don't like doing things like that.

Whatever. (whatever _you!_ Oops, wrong story...)

Okayy. The stars: *

I put several throughout this chapter.

* Eir being able to track better than Rox - Eir has been tracking for _ages_. I bet she got used to tracking crystallized terrain back when the group was fighting Kralkatorrik (before Snaff died) and so tracking even in caverns would be easier than that. Even if not, Eir's been tracking a lot longer than Rox, and can probably do it faster and easier than Rox.

* The Magister's gladness that Eir is alright - Eir was captured along with everyone else, including the magister, and when she got left at the prison camp a while back everyone was worrying. Plus, Eir's got this legend, and the magister is also a norn, and he'd respect that. You know, norn culture and all that. Eir's basically famous in the Shiverpeaks, you know how it is.

* Check my profile for my ramblings about discrepancies.

That's all of them.

I hope you don't mind I like rambling. (I took out half of it, too.)


	4. Chapter 4: Tarquazin

SURVIVAL OF THE SMARTEST

* * *

Summary: The uninteresting journey through the Tangled Depths. (Uninteresting in the TD? Whaat?)

* * *

Chapter four: Tarquazin

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

Oh no. I'm running out of things to say in Author's Notes. Oh dear. Oh well.

 _ **Okay, here's the story now:**_

* * *

There is a scout at the Whispers base of operations in the area - and this scout has had other Pact scouts reporting the lay of the land to her since the crash.

"Yes, the only pass is directly south of here," she tells them. "You just came from the outpost to the east? The only road that gets to te pass anything like a timely manner in that direction the path that outpost is camped on. If you're looking for speed, talk to Tarquazin over there."

"I don't speak the Nuhoch language," the Commander says uneasily, glancing over.

"Oh, you don't need to," Sella says dismissively. "Tarquazin's really friendly. You'll see. She'll be able to direct you safely and quickly to the pass."

"Thank you for the information, Sella," the Commander tells her.

"Hello!" Taimi says to Tarquazin. "Can you help us get to the southern pass so we can find our friends?"

"Your friends aren't my friends," Tarquazin points out mildly.

"Please, every moment they're out there Trahearne has a greater chance of being turned - by force. The war effort against Mordremoth will crumble like soft clay if he's turned... and they're our friends," Eir pleads.

"Turned?" Tarquazin seems interested now. "So your friend is a sylvari?"

"Yes. He'd kill himself before being turned... but the dragon won't let him have any say in the matter. You've seen the turned sylvari, and the distrust sown among the Pact because of it." the Commander says.

"This dragon doesn't even _try_ peaceable methods," Tarquazin growls. "At least the Zintle tribe don't invade our minds,"

"The dragon's methods - not to mention it's purpose - are unforgivably evil," Canach says dryly. "We all know _that_."

"Every victim of the dragon's that I see makes the fire burn hotter in me, and yet, after weeks, I have yet to see anyone - _anyone!_ trying to do anything about it!" Tarquazin says in frustration. "Except for you. I'll help you get to the pass. We'll save your friend from the dragon's invasions."

"And - hopefully - end the dragon so he can't violate anyone else's privacy," the Commander agrees.

"Show me where the caravan you were tracking went, on the map," Tarquazin tells them. "Hm..." Eir traces the route they know the Mordrem took. "They will be greatly slowed down, taking that route," he says, analyzing the map. "Even if it was the same route, we'd be going quicker, just because we know exactly where they're going. How old are the tracks you found?"

"Two days behind, by now," Eir reports.

"They'll be halfway through this maze, then," Tarquazin informs them. "Our route only takes two days, so you should catch up to your quarry near the place your Pact has taken to calling 'Dragon's Passage'.

"Two days," the Commander ponders, her eyes drifting to the map where Tarquazin had outlined the estimated route the Mordrem had taken for the quickest time to the pass, outlined in black ink. "What's our route?" she asks, after a moment.

Tarquazin outlines the route, which really is almost directly south. Once he was done, new details jump out at Eir from the map that had just been mere details before; the U-turn near the bottom of the map, the nearly-hidden passage into a place labeled 'Ogre Lane' from Deeproot Sink, the squiggly path near the very end of the map, and a lone waypoint at the end. Tarquazin's mark of where he thinks the Mordrem are now is a large loop that curves north - giving the Mordrem a large detour - before going south. The predicted route for the Mordrem is long and winding, much longer than their planned path.

"There's only one approach to Dragon's Passage. See, we sort of cut onto it here - " Tarquazin taps the near-hidden passageway that links Deeproot Sink and Ogre Lane - "whereas the Mordrem will probably be on it at it's beginning, way east here. It may be a good idea to look around for tracks at that point, to see if we're behind or - Ameyalli willing - ahead."

"Let's get moving, then," the Commander says with a decisive nod. "No need to wait around with our friends in mortal peril."

"There will be numerous enemies to fight, so be prepared," Tarquazin warns.

* * *

"Alright, this part is very tricky," Tarquazin warns them, midmorning on the second day. "The map shows the beginning of two paths that point to each other, here, but there's nothing in-between. They seem like they connect, but really they don't. If that's all we knew, we'd be sad that we don't get the short cut it looks like. In reality, our end of the path comes out _here,_ which is even better. It cuts this loop here."

After the group follows Tarquazin through the passage.

"Alright, we've still got this loop go through, but we just skipped _this_ one. Follow me, and _don't get lost_."

Tarquazin leads them through a twisting tunnel, glancing back every once in a while to ensure nobody lags behind.

' _Really,_ ' Eir reflects, ' _He's been doing that the whole time,_ '

After they go past a place where it's even more twisty and turny than usual, with side passages, Tarquazin stops them.

"Alright, 'till now we've had to deal with a smattering of Mordrem and chak, but there is a hive of chak just ahead. It's best to take them on one by one - at least alone, or they'd swarm you. What you _don't_ want to do is charge through and ignore them, hoping they'll forget about you eventually.* With this many people, it won't slow us up much, but we still need to get through." Tarquazin points ahead. "Kill those chak there, and I'll check the egg clutch to see how much time we have, and how long before they get vicious and possessive," Tarquazin instructs. "And here is where we check for the Mordrem trail."

After the small cluster of chak are defeated, Tarquazin pulls a flask out of a pouch and dribbles a light blue fluid on the egg clutch. It seeming gets absorbed, but bubbles up again a moment later.

"We can take our time, we'll be fine." Tarquazin informs them. "Defeat the chak just here and check for tracks - knowing the Mordrem, they'd stick to the middle of the lane, as there's the fewest chak there, and the Mordrem and chak aren't allies."

Eir and Rox move to faint outline of a path near the center of what seems like a ravine, and the rest of the group form a defensive perimeter around them, in case Kasmeer's invisibility ward fails.

"They were here," Eir determines after a while. "We should catch up to them by noon tomorrow, even if we stop for the night."

"There's a Pact camp just south of Dragon's Passage," Tarquazin tells them. "We can stop there for the night."

"Alright, let's fight through this mess," the Commander decides.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

Yay, how do you like it?

That is all I've written in my notebook as of 7/7/2018 (today).

Oh dear. I've only got one response to my request for feedback in Temporary Chapter 19 of _Tyria's Real!?_ ? I suppose that means I'll just finish writing this, then.

Can you believe how much space the last four chapters took up?! And how sore my hands are after each writing session? Oh dear.

Anyway.

Don't worry, all this is posted all at once. So, for once, I'm _not_ requesting feedback, because this is an on-the-side story. And once this is done, I'll pick up another one!

Because I've got a lot of ideas, let me tell you.

What if when Rytlock jumped into that portal to the Mists, it stayed open? And Rox followed him in, and Braham went after Rox, and Taimi went after Braham, and Zojja went after Taimi, and... and the portal led to all sorts of different places, but not the Mists? I've also got a bazillion others. Like what if the Commander turns to Mordremoth, like inside the dragon's mind or something? That's when the biggest assault comes.

Or what if Elder Dragon's _didn't_ know everything their minions know pre-corruption?

My next'll probably be my take on _why_ Mordremoth does things that he does - not why he wants to take over the world, but his tactics. And things.

I. Am. Rambling. _Again_. I have to get out of that habit, so bye!

Oh, and think up a name for this chapter. Oh well.

* This is actually very sound advice for traversing Ogre Lane (why oh why isn't it Chak Lane? There's no ogres! Just chak!) because just running through and hoping they forget about you doesn't work. It's a longg lane with enemies the whole way until Dragon's Passage waypoint. It takes a long time fighting through everything, but it's better than dying and never getting there. Don't give up or lose patience (that happened to me a lot) but it is _so_ worth it to have that waypoint because then you never have to do it again!

The locations and routes mentioned are actually possible routes to Dragon's Passage. I actually logged on and made sure. Yay! If you want me to show you the trail... er... I don't know how, unless we both happen to log on at the same time (which is bound to never happen, with my schedule and tendency to never stick to it, which rules out agreeing on a time and place through PM)

Annnyway

I hope you liked the OC I invented, Tarquazin. My first choice of name was Tarquintle, and then I changed to Tarquatle, but that reminded me of Tequatle the Sunless too much, so I settled on Tarquazin. Yay me! She likes fighting for freedom and not giving up, which is why she switched attitudes so fast from 'your friends aren't my friends' to 'I'll escort you there myself'. I am uncertain if she'll stick around past Dragon's Passage... it's hard enough keeping everyone enough in the story as it is, however... wow, I actually am doing a reasonable job of it, aren't I? Wow!

Waypoints are a thing for me. Meaning, they exist for NPCs as well. And they work the same (except for, of course, clicking 'M' for map, and _clicking_ in general, because it's not a game to them)

ANYWAY. I ramble wayy to much...


	5. Chapter 5: Scanning Madness

SURVIVAL OF THE SMARTEST

* * *

Summary: The group catches up to Logan and Zojja, and, after a long time fighting copies, finally rescue the two.

* * *

Chapter five: Scanning Madness

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

This one was very fun. Hope you like it!

 _ **Okay, here's the story now:**_

* * *

They cross a small, puddle-like body of water, after which there are no more chak or Mordrem, and come to a waypoint right next to a pass in the rocky mountain range.

Through the pass and a little farther on is another Pact outpost.

"I must get back to my people," Tarquazin tells them. "It was refreshing escorting you, and I am glad I could participate in such an endeavor - assist such a noble cause."

"We may see you again." the Commander says. "The war against Mordremoth will not end upon us saving our companions - we will only have a much more likely chance of victory."

"I hope such a victory will not be short-lived, for such should be properly celebrated. I will be on my way." Tarquazin turns and disappears into the jungle.

"The trail is fresh - they attacked this camp on their way through, a delay which gives us an advantage," Eir tells the rest of the group. "And their numbers were depleted here, too. The Pact fights well."

"Let's continue, then, and swiftly," the Commander replies.

* * *

"The trail - " Braham starts suddenly.

"Very recent," Rox comments.

"New," Eir corrects. "Forward," she adds, with a dangerous glint in her eye. ' _They are close._ ' she thinks dangerously.

"Ready to fight, guys," Taimi says. "Scruffy's picking up readings."

"They are being merciless," Rytlock snarls. "They are in pain - and deep terror... for me to - feel it - from here."

"What are we waiting for?" several people say at once. (Pun intended.)

Taimi and Rytlock take the lead, (as they are the ones with sensors and feelings) and the group charges through the jungle.

Suddenly, they emerge into a clearing, split in two by a chasm, bridged by vines. The whole area completely, utterly, and very obviously taken over by the dragon, and corrupted to the core. Even two large - ' _probably once-majestic,_ ' Eir thinks _-_ trees, one on each side of the chasm, are horribly twisted and evil-looking.

The scene is dominated by three large Vinetooths, surrounded by the Mordrem Guard. By the tree closest to the group, Logan seems to be barely conscious, tied to the tree with vines. Zojja is in a similar state on the other side of the chasm.

Eir takes this all in in an instant, but as she does, a sickly green bubble forms around both captives, as if grown the trees.

Rytlock snarls, the Commander gets a fierce look in her eye, and Eir unconsciously tests her bow at the sight of their close friends in such a state.

Kasmeer conjures a small cluster of clones, and Marjory summons a group of necromantic minions that instantly charge forward with Rytlock, Caithe, Canach, Braham, Frostbite, and Beorn (the Commander's ranger pet). Rox, the Commander, and Eir let loose a flurry of arrows. Taimi, unable to help, snarls in frustration.

The Mordrem Guard spin around with blades drawn. Several fall to arrows before they get close enough for melee battle, and keep falling until some sort of magical barrier springs up, deflecting the last hail of arrows, spinning them into the air.

"Free the prisoners," the Commander says icily. "Rox, see if you can get around all that fighting to Logan. Eir, get Zojja free. I'm going to find Marshal Trahearne."

Eir nods and slips over the vine bridge to where Zojja is trapped within the sickly green bubble, held against the tree. The bubble seems to be pulsing with a sinister light, and the tree moving ever so slightly, even with no wind. It faintly reminds Eir of something, but she can't remember what. Within the bubble, Eir knows is Zojja is almost unconscious, but her shadowy half-seen form seems to be thrashing about. Eir notes this all in a moment, before is flung forwards by a sharp pressure behind her.

Recovering, she whirls around to face a lone Mordrem Guard. Snarling in annoyance ' _Really, I don't have time for this!_ ' she mentally orders Garm to defend her, but he isn't there. Remembering the cause of his absence - _Mordrem_ \- she lashes out at it with her weapons, keeping it back while she thinks.

Assessing the situation, she realizes the bubble and the tree - the pulsing, sinister life and the shadowy movement of the branches - are alive. Purposely backing up against the bubble, she waits until the Mordrem gets close, and dodges one heavy swing of it's blade, both letting the turned sylvari harm this bubble (that is obviously bad to keep alive) and putting enough distance between her and the Mordrem for her to use her bow to greater effect.

Bringing the powerful weapon into play, she unleashes an arrow with a broad, weighted head, forcing her adversary against the greenish bubble. It dents, but the Mordrem pushes out of it with a snarl, and flexible material snaps back into position.

By now, Eir has let fly a flurry of arrows, now pincushioning the ground, the tree, and the dragon's minion.

The Mordrem falls, and Eir turns to regard the pulsing... thing attached to the three. It has grown, Eir notes, and decides that can only be a bad thing.

The pulsing seems... dampened around the places where her arrows still pierce the bubble. However, the 'wounds' inflicted are very shallow.

Distracted by a shout, Eir frowns over the chasm. The fight seems to be going badly, and Rox hasn't made her way to the tree holding Logan yet. The Commander is poking around by the vinetooths, two of which are battling her.

Shaking her head, Eir refocuses on the pod in front of her. The pulsing glow of the bubble gets brighter for a moment, drowning out Zojja's shadowy form within.

Backing up a bit, she shoots another arrow at the green pod. It almost _bounces_ off, only leaving a dent. Well, she hadn't fired at full strength, to make sure she didn't hit Zojja.

Taking the arrow in her hand, she forces it into the bubble, which is as hard as pushing it through tar. Once through the outer layer, however, it goes as if pushing through water - that is to say, really fast - and Eir stops hastily, fearful of hurting Zojja.

She pulls the arrowhead halfay back through outer layer, intending to wiggle it around and potentially injure the sinister bubble.

And she is pushed forwards again. She whirls around, to confront -

"Zojja?" Eir says in surprise. But, no, it isn't Zojja. She looks oddly distorted and _green_ , and - two more _Zojjas_ drop down beside the first. Eir glances momentarily back over the chasm, dreading this is what the rest of them are going through. She can't see through all the fighting, however.

Turning her attention back to the fake Zojjas, she realizes there are now six. The more recent ones seem more... deformed. They are slightly angular, and the staff they all carry in mockery of Zojja is shorter and thinner, and pointed on the end.

' _Arrowlike_ ,' Eir realizes. The bubble must absorb whatever is in it and reproduce...

Eir thrusts a few more arrows into it - (arrows are lifeless) - before turning her attention the eight Zojjas. A rain of arrows ends a few (five left) but are replaced by more copies - slightly jerky, but still deadly.

"No!" one of them shrieks shrilly, even as it attacks her.

Eir frowns. The next few are just as jerky and angular, but also with the barest touch of hesitancy. (Nine, now.)

Eir pushes a few arrows deeper in, hoping they don't hurt Zojja. Then, she methodically starts taking down the copies, oldest first. ' _The older ones are more deadly - before some of my arrows were in._ ' The newer, the less of a threat. (Seven)

(Ten) They aren't as tough as the real Zojja - the arrows must be having an effect. Then, she is blasted backwards into the bubble, pushing some of her arrows in farther. The next few clones (twelve) are slightly taller than their fellows. ' _This bubble will absorb anything!_ ' she thinks.

Glancing back at the bubble, she sees some of her arrows are pushed in to the fletching. She grimaces, but turns back to the battle. (Fourteen.)

"No!"

Eir blinks. One of the more recent of the ever-increasing, angular, jerky copies (ten) had spoken. There is a dim - oh _so_ dim - light in it's eyes. It flickers and wavers dangerously, but it is there. (Eleven.)

"Stop..."

Eir fires a volley of arrows, but a gust of air (Zojja's specialty) flips them over and sends them back at her. Driven my the malicious wind, Eir barely ducks in time to avoid them. They stick (barely) in the bubble, only the steel arrowheads poking through.

"Stop..." another copy moans. "us..."

The next few (thirteen) seem a bit awkward in their movments. There is that small, wavering light in these, too. It gives them a faintly frightened expression.

"Burn!" another copy mumbles.

The next few (seventeen) appear with a slight snarl and a vicious streak. She is pinned down next to the bubble, gusts of air preventing her from moving very far. (Nineteen.) They seem to be waiting for their numbers to get higher before attacking her head-on, now they have her locked down. (Twenty-one.)

Eir reaches over and pulls one of her arrows half out. The copies (twenty-three) don't stop her. The arrowhead is in the outer layer of the bubble - the tough skin. Eir glances over at them, watching her with a wary, slightly curious expression. (Twenty-five.) Eir pulls all the arrows in a small area out that far. (Twenty-seven.) Eir grabs two at once, one with each hand, and yanks them around, creating a small tear in the bubble. Instantly she is blasted with air again, and the copies (twenty-seven) start closing in on her. They are out of range, though, so they take time. She grabs the next two arrows and yanks them around, making another small tear in Zojja's prison. Then she snatches another arrow and starts expanding the hole.

"Burn... us..."

She is blasted with another gust of air from the copies (twenty-seven) and she abandons the bubble, and starts shooting. Her desperation is unmatched. She is facing twenty-seven Zojjas (still twenty-seven? She hasn't killed any) and none of her arrows are working - the blasts of air are too strong.

"Kill... us..."

Thinking quickly, the grabs the hole she made in the bubble and crawls up the side of it, using her stiff arrows as hand- and foot-holds. Now she is shooting the copies from above. (Twenty-four.) The tear had widened from her using it in that way, and is now oozing a light green liquid. Several others tears have appeared in Zojja's cell, as well.

"Help us! Save us! Kill us!" another copy pipes up.

Her arrows are being rebuffed again, but she has a firm hold atop the bubble (plus the tree behind her) and won't be blown away. Sticking more arrows in the top, she yanks them around, making more tears. She enlarges these, working on them. But then she is hit with a blast of lightening.

She barely keeps her hold, in blinding pain for a brief moment. "Stop us!" wail the clones.

Recovering, she notices that all the copies (twenty-four) seem to think that zapping her is a good idea, and Eir watches in slow motion as twenty-three (the first is still recovering) streaks of lightening zip towards her, even as they all shriek at her to stop them. Eir panicks, shouting wildly for help. She loses her handhold and falls off the top of the bubble - only one lightning hits her. The rest explode on the top of the bubble and the tree-trunk just above that. Eir notes that, but doesn't have time to think about it now. She releases another flurry of arrows before dodging to the side. She glances back at the copies in time to see a bright flash of light.

She is blinded for a moment, firing wildly, before her vision clears, just in time to see another streak of lightening hit her in the face. She dodges to the side the moment she can, barely avoiding two more. She takes advantage of the fact that none of them are using the wind anymore to take down another couple. (Twenty-one.) Her last arrow is flipped around and subsequently ignored by the copies.

"End us! Burn us! Kill us!"

' _Why are there no more?_ ' she wonders. ' _They stopped coming at twenty seven right after -_ ' Eir's eyes widen is realization. ' _I ripped that hole in the bubble!_ ' She slips around the tree for a moment to get shelter from the incessant lightning, and her gaze falls on the other side of the chasm. Her friends are almost overwhelmed. Forty copies of Logan - _forty!_ \- plus the original Mordrem have surrounded the group. The bubble on the Blighting Tree that holds Logan remains untouched.

And the Zojja copies (twenty-one) are by the vine bridge, looking around. They had cast another blinding flash right as she slipped away, and don't know where she went.

"Help us! Help!" the clones are wailing. "Kill us! Help us! End us! Save us!"

' _They can't tell the difference between them - that need killing - and Zojja, who needs saving,_ ' Eir realizes. ' _At least they have their priorities straight, though._ '

Eir draws her bow to its maximum strength - ' _I haven't needed to do that in_ _years,_ ' - and lets loose a single arrow, hoping the copies don't see it. She does it again. And again. And again. Until the copies see the arrows and dart around the tree. Eir charges at the cluster of copies - which they are _not_ expecting - holding an arrow, and slashes around with it, using it as a one-handed stabbing weapon. Several copies fall. (Seventeen.)

In her melee dance around the other copies (fifteen), avoiding their lightning and trying to keep her eyes closed to avoid the blinding light, one of them blasts her forward, towards the edge of the chasm. Her eyes open in startled surprise, but she is not in danger. She just has time to note that her arrows had all hit Logan's bubble in one spot and bounced off, leaving a dent, before she whirls around to continue doing battle.

"End us! Stop us! Help us!"

Then, they seem to get organized. She is blasted back. She leaps to her feet and is blasted back by a perfectly timed gale of wind. By this time she is on the other side of the tree again, by the bubble, the clones still calling out to be killed.

Her eyes widen. It is _healing!_ But it is healing around an arrow stuck deeply into the insides of the bubble. That arrow is glowing a sinister green and crumbling slowly. Then the copies are on her. In the melee she makes sure to batter on the largest tear some, before the copies (twelve) back off a bit, apparently waiting for more copies, but knowing better than to not attack. ' _It's probably a good thing the green inside stuff was coming out,_ ' Eir decides. It has stopped now, which seems due to the healing - most of the other rips are closed.

She dodges out of the way, and another gale of wind blasts the tear, right behind where she had been standing. Eir sees the green ooze get packed down farther in the bubble, and take on a slightly darker quality and seems... sick. Wilty, perhaps. She ducks out of the way again, and fires more arrows.

A single copy appears (thirteen left) but it seems sick. It is a darker green color and stumbles around oddly, and seems injured. She hopes that is a reflection of the bubble's wounds, not the original Zojja's. It seems to have more awareness.

"Stop us!" it calls in a slightly less wavery tone. "Help me! Kill us!"

' _Differentiating between 'me,' Zojja, and 'us,' the clones,_ ' Eir notes.

Charging forwards again - ' _I killed the most that way,'_ \- she holds two arrows in each hand, leaving her bow (hopefullly) safe near the base of the tree.

She leaves the latest clones alone - ' _They are injured and very little threat,_ ' - and focuses on the angular, slightly hesitant, awkward, a little frightened-looking older copies. There are none of the original ones left.

Setting a goal - get the healthy-ish ones down while ignoring the decidedly sick ones - seems to help. Their numbers aren't growing or shrinking, but that ratio is changing. However, Eir is rather injured - the lightning strikes had weakened her considerably, sapping her strength, at the same time burning her where it had hit her. And the copies are getting reckless - they are casting chains of lightning at themselves, letting it rebound across a bunch of copies before it hits her, the stronger for having absorbed the copies' power. But at least it's sapping the copies power. And the sick ones are dying.

None of them are using much air any more (nine healthy-ish, eleven sick) so Eir evades around to be as close to the tree as she can, making those farther from her come closer, surrounding her, and doing that again.

Now she can reach her bow, and she does, but instantly hops behind the tree again. She sends off another full-strength arrow, aimed at the same spot her last one was in Logan's prison, before firing a rain of arrows at the cluster of copies (five healthy-ish, fifteen sick), killing several (especially for the weakening of the lightnings).

She slips around to the front of the tree quickly, and takes the time to enlarge the hole (which is almost closed) again, which starts the light-green ooze coming again.

The clones (two healthy-ish, eighteen sick) seem to realize their strategy isn't working, and get the newer copies (the ones untouched by lightning) to help. And Eir is left with go right, get hit, go left, get hit, don't move, get hit, go up, get hit... and drops flat on the ground, barely missing the one aimed for her knees. And all the lightning erupts in the bubble, some of them in the leaky tear.

Eir grins in victory, already charging at the group (two healthy-ish, twenty-three sick) again. She slips to the side, dodging another group of lightnings that only electrocute the ground and first kills the two healthy ones (they seem smarter than the others) before firing another rain of arrows, which kills a good deal of them.

The remaining copies (fifteen) all decide to blast her with another gale of wind, but as she is in the middle and they surrounding her, it barely does much besides blow in her face. Which gives her time to strike down the couple right next to her to give herself some room.

She tumbles back to the bubble, and she spins around, picking up her bow and nocking an arrow.

She is unexpectedly hit in the face with nothing at all. The copies (sixteen) are all stumbling around _very_ jerkily and talking nonstop.

"Stop us! Kill us! End us!" mixed with "Help her! Save her! Heal her!"

She slumps against the tree, exhausted. One last, weak copy (seventeen left) pops up, staggering around and glowing, and the light in it's eyes is a tad brighter. It barely holds a resemblance to Zojja at all. It is very angular, and its limbs are almost like arrows tied together, even seeming heavier on the ends (like steel arrowheads). Its staff is as effective as ever, even for looking like an arrow.

"No..." it mumbles, and sits down, almost grumpily. Eir would have thought it funny if the situation hadn't been so dire.

Another copy pops up every thirty seconds, each looking weaker than the last.

Eir gets an idea, which she instantly discards. ' _I will not weaken the bubble so much that they start fighting for me. I do_ not _want Zojja harmed any more than she already has been._ '

She turns to the bubble and, bracing her fingers around the tear (which is still leaking ooze) in the bubble, on a tree which seems dead now, she yanks it open, farther and farther, until a large gaping hole is in the outer layer, and the light-green stuff that fills the inside is spilling out, seemingly fried by all the lightning that had gone into it. Eir keeps tiredly, mindlessly pulling the hole bigger.

Suddenly, the remaining edges of the stiff outer layer curl up in a convulsive motion, and the bubble seemingly gives up and lets go. The tree wilts before her startled eyes, and then she realizes Zojja - not a copy - is on the ground at her feet, seemingly wavering in and out of consciousness.

Eir carefully picks up the small asura and looks over the chasm to where the big fight is taking place. She sags with exhaustion upon remembering there's a ton Logan copies, but then she realizes Rox saw her arrows and what she had done to Zojja's prison, and he and Frostbite had managed to injure the bubble a bit, too.

The rest of the group is now only fighting Logan clones, the rest of the the Mordrem are dead (except the vinetooths, which the Commander is still battling). Taimi has a furious, angry expression on her face, but she physically cannot do anything.

Eir edges around the battle to where Taimi is. Taimi's whole attention is taken by Zojja the moment she sees her.

"Eir, you get over there and help them, I'll take care of Zojja," she says fiercely, barely looking at Eir. When she does glance up, her mouth drops open in shock, but not at Eir.

Eir turns, and sees the group of twenty sickly-looking copies standing behind her. The light in their eyes is firm and stable.

"Let's get Logan," one of the copies says, fierce determination. Eir glances at the real Zojja in confusion, then back to the copies.

"Are you just going to stand there and refuse help?" another copy demands. It is acting just like the real Zojja.

"You killed the Blighting Tree. Logically, we've been released," another explains condescendingly. Like normal. "We're Zojja. Only... not. And no idea how long we'll stay as alive as we are. So let's get in there!"

Taimi is still gaping, glancing back and forth from Zojja and her copies. "Maybe..." she says weakly. "Maybe just let them help. Go help Rox."

Eir gives a tight smile - ' _I'm too exhausted to do more than tell Rox what to do'_ \- but she nods, before heading over to help Rox. The Commander seems to be holding her own, and the tree hasn't stopped producing Logan copies.

"Eir! What you did seems to work, but I don't know how," Rox says, his back to the bubble and assisting Frostbite in beating off one of the Logan copies. "Burn me, what are those?" he asks, gesturing to the copies.

"Getting distracted is the first thing not to do," Eir tells him tiredly. "The others will have to defend us. If you kill the Blighting Tree, all the copies will start helping. That's what these copies are."

Rox nods, confusion in her eyes as she darts a glance at the copies, and calls the rest over and tells them she needs protection, but Eir hardly notices. Now that her fight is over and the adrenalin rush fading, she is dead on her feet.

"You just need to rip the bubble apart. I started a rip with an arrow, but don't hurt Logan on accident. I don't know if I hurt Zojja or not - I might've... but it's probably worse for him to stay in there..."

Rox frowns at Eir in concern. Eir is leaning heavily on the tree, with her eyes half closed, and talking in a slurring tone.

Eir's vision is blurry. She hears herself rambling on for a moment, before one of the newest copies takes over. All while the rest of the team is desperately holding off the Logan clones. The Commander is still weaving in and out by the vinetooths. One of them seems injured, but she is fine.

She hears a faint, far-off "understood" from Rox before she falls into sleep. She probably really fainted, but it felt blissful, that sleep.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

That. Was so fun to write!

Did I make the battle with Zojja's copies exciting and dangerous enough? I may have made Eir a bit OP, but... with the amount Zojja herself went on and on about their loss against Kralkatorrik being her fault, and the statements how she is both the tactical mind and leader of the group, I decided that should make sense.

And think how much easier it would've been for her if Garm were there! Probably still tense and dangerous, but different.

I chose the name for this chapter because I almost routinely called the fake Zojjas and fake Logans 'copies'. And copying has to do with printing, as in, on a printer. But that doesn't make any sense, but scanning does. Because the bubbles (at least in this story) scan the stuff inside the bubble and make copies of it. So, perhaps I should have made the later copies of Zojja all crackly and lightningy, but I had a headache. (Which is what I based Eir's exhaustion after the adrenalin rush faded on) and I don't feel like rewriting it.

And I've decided the name I told you at the top of the chapter won't do at all. I seriously thought about making it something like 'The Heir of [one of Eir's parent's names] Lives' or something like that, but... Eir's mother's name isn't known, and her father's name is Einar Cliffstrider. Neither name fits in that story title very well. So, no.


	6. Chapter 6: The Dragon's Downfall

SURVIVAL OF THE SMARTEST

* * *

Summary: The Commander and the others are back at the Pact Base Camp, waiting for Logan, Zojja, and Trahearne to recover. Once they do, the attack on Mordremoth is planned.

* * *

Chapter six: The Dragon's Downfall

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

I haven't written any of this story in a long time! Maybe even a couple months. _That_ is why I waited until the entire story was done before posting it. Even though this is, in all probability, the last chapter. So, enjoy!

 _ **Okay, here's the story now:**_

* * *

At the nearest Pact camp, Eir is pacing nervously. The medic - an asura named Ceera - had even turned the Commander out of the hospital tent.

Logan, Zojja, and Trahearne had all been unconscious when rescued, but the group's main concern is for Trahearne. As a sylvari, he is much more susceptible to Mordremoth's tactics, and the fact that he had _not_ been in a Blighting Tree upon arrival has all of them worried about Mordremoth's intentions.

Eir had been told that the copies of Zojja had... fallen apart partway through the battle with Logan's copies, and Logan's copies had done the same before Eir woke up.

Rytlock seems to be able to... feel things about the rescued prisoners, however.

"Logan and Zojja will be alright," Rytlock informs them. "They'll need a long time to recover, but they'll be alright. I don't know as much about the Marshal, however. I don't know him as well as I do Logan and Zojja. He'll be alright, though. I think."

Uncertainty from Rytlock is a rare thing, but he'd been more and more uncertain about things since he got back from the Mists. Uncertain about new things, that is, like his new magic. Take that away and he is still his old confident self.

* * *

Over the next few days, just Destiny's Edge being in the camp boosts morale. Reports are coming back all the time about the Pact's operations in the area and preparing to go against Mordremoth.

The Commander leads their group out to assist the Pact in these operations, of course, but they always hurry back quickly to ask for news of their friends.

The Commander echoes Eir's hope that Trahearne is at least conscious by the time that attack begins.

* * *

Zojja is the first to regain consciousness, and the Pact medic Ceera grudgingly allows Destiny's Edge, Taimi, and the Commander - who she glares at hatefully - to talk to Zojja. The rest of the team is decidedly ordered to remain outside.

Zojja is still injured, but it is a relief to Eir to see a Zojja that isn't green and trying to kill her, or creepily attempting to help out despite being a Mordrem. Zojja's first concern is Taimi, and once Taimi reassures her mentor that she is alright, Zojja thanks Eir for getting her out of the Blighting Tree. Eir replies that it was the least she could do.

The Commander anxiously asks Zojja if she has any information about Mordremoth.

"Not really... no," Zojja replies.

"The copies of you spoke - continuously," Eir says quietly.

Zojja snorts. "Probably why I can remember everything they experienced. It wasn't pretty."

"Says a lot of Mordremoth's power that he can do that, and you're not even sylvari," the Commander remarks, as Eir winces.

Ceera comes back in and shoos them out again.

* * *

But over the next little while - with the Pact's forces getting closer and closer to combating the dragon itself - Zojja keeps asking to see her friends. Ceera always scowls at the Commander, and Eir wonders why. It's not like the Commander is a sylvari or anything, and Ceera never acts out of the ordinary towards sylvari anyway.

At one point, the Commander is asked to help defeat some Mordrem wurm-thing, dubbed Mordrem Spitfire by some of the troops for it's highly toxic saliva. Of course, the rest of the team goes along, too.

There are three of them blocking the way forward for the Pact, and the Commander her team defeat all three, before returning to Pact Base Camp.

* * *

There they find that Logan has woken up, and he has much the same things to say as Zojja.

By this time, Zojja is well enough to be up and about occasionally, as long as she has someone with her.

Taimi had volunteered for this duty, of course, but Zojja doesn't act like she needs it. ' _Typical Zojja,_ ' Eir thinks amusedly.

Siege weapons are being built by the Pact - thumpers and turrets and even an Exalted machine, in preparation for taking down Mordremoth's commanders. But the group containing Destiny's Edge is asked to help, as Mordremoth's highest champions... well...

Ceera still hasn't let anyone in to see Trahearne, but Rytlock's reports are increasingly worrisome.

"He's restless," Rytlock reports. "His mind is troubled and divided."

Canach snorts. "Of course it is. He is a sylvari, and we are right on Mordremoth's doorstep."

"It would seem like it is his mind, Rytlock," Caithe adds, "but his mind is his own. He won't give in."

That simple statement, devoid of any 'buts' or 'only ifs', lifts the hopes of the group for a time.

* * *

The next day, the Commander is restless. "I must see him," she declares finally. "Whether Ceera allows it or not, I will."

The Commander slips inside the hospital tent when Ceera is out, and is instantly worried. Trahearne is unconscious, but twitching, and muttering to himself inaudibly.

The Commander watches him anxiously for a moment, before whispering to him, "you are a sylvari of the Pale Tree. You are Trahearne, Marshal of the Pact. You can resist this Elder Dragon. Caithe and Canach and countless others are doing it, I know you, Trahearne, can too. You are Trahearne. You, Trahearne, cleansed Orr where it was thought impossible. You, Trahearne, formed the Pact, which defeated an Elder Dragon where thought impossible. Trahearne, you are a doer of impossible things. You, Trahearne, _can_ reject Mordremoth from your mind. I know you can, Trahearne."

Mordremoth's tactics are to overwhelm a person's sense of self, their sense of who they are. Using Trahearne's name repeatedly, the Commander hopes, will help. She quietly leaves the tent and returns to her group.

"It is too early to tell," Rytlock says, forestalling the questions.

Later, Ceera makes her first report on Trahearne's condition. "He seems better," she says stiffly.

"Speak to him," the Commander urges.

"Use his name," Caithe adds. "It helps, trust me."

"Remind him who he is and what he has to fight for," Canach informs the asura.

"It will work better coming from those he knows well," Rytock tells her.

Ceera just huffs at them and disappears into the tent again. However, later she calls in Caithe. She avoids looking at the Commander.

"Why doesn't Ceera like you?" Eir asks the Commander.

"She blames me for the death of her mate, Tonn," the Commander sighs. "I was on a mission with him to blow up a Dead Ship near Orr, and he was caught in the explosion. She's blamed me ever since."

"Oh." Eir knows exactly how the Commander feels. ' _Is it an asura thing?_ ' she wonders, glancing in Zojja's direction.

* * *

Later, Rytlock reports that Trahearne seems to be more... settled, if not much. When Ceera is out, Caithe, Canach, and the Commander slip in again and speak to the unconscious sylvari. The Commander notes that he had stopped twitching and muttering to himself. They speak only of happy things, using Trahearne's name and/or rank as often as possible. When they leave, he seems more peaceful, somehow.

The next day, Pact troops start marching to the three gates of Mordremoth's sanctum.

Zojja and Logan urge them to go with the Pact's troops.

"You will be needed," Logan informs the Commander, looking her in the eye. "You being there will boost morale, calling to mind the last Elder Dragon and how you took it down with relative ease. With Caithe, Eir, and Rytlock there, as well as your new friends, it will be enough to make up for me and Zojja and Trahearne not being there."

The Commander glances in the direction of the hospital tent. "Let's all go in and check on him," she decides. "Only a few at a time, so as not to disturb him much, but I get the feeling it'll help."

After that, Rytlock reports a noticable change, before the group leaves to help assault the gates of Mordremoth's sanctuary.

* * *

As it turns out, the Commander's group is needed greatly, as Mordremoth's commanders are very resilient and dangerous.

The Pact takes them down with difficulty, and decide to wait two days, ensuring there are no further threats in the area, before marching on Mordremoth itself.

The Commander's group returns to Pact Base Camp, where Ceera has let Logan and Zojja in to speak to Trahearne. As the two are still weak from their ordeal in the Blighting Pods, they don't have much else to do.

The Commander and the two sylvari seem to help the Marshal the most, besides Logan and Zojja. The five speak to him softly and slowly, but there are often periods of silence.

"One of Mordremoth's most common tactics," Canach informs them, "is to speak his thoughts into a sylvari's head with such speed that he never gets a chance to think his own thoughts."

Upon seeing the positive effect of having these people by his side, Ceera grudgingly lets other members of the Pact come and wish Marshal Trahearne well.

By the second day Trahearne is drifting in and out of consciousness, and, by noon, he has awoken fully, remaining awake for about half an hour, talking to the Commander and her team, before dropping off to sleep again.

Ceera is pleased by this development, and Rytlock informs them that it is true sleep, restful and necessary. Trahearne had won the battle for his mind, rejected the dragon's sinister will.

"I wonder what would have happened if Mordremoth had won?" Kasmeer wonders.

Caithe and Canach are silent.

* * *

That night, Trahearne wakes up again, and is greeted by the hopeful faces of the Commander and her team.

After a few minutes of quiet talk, Trahearne asks where the war is at.

"We've breached Mordremoth's inner sanctum," the Commander informs him. "We're going to go in and kill every living plant-thing in there tomorrow."

Trahearne shakes his head. "That won't work. He doesn't really have a body anymore - he is the whole jungle."

Braham huffs. "So we burn everything that's jungle?"

"That wouldn't work, you silly," Taimi says, rolling her eyes. "Remember those vines that were attacking the waypoints, before I fixed them? There's _no way_ we can get all of this dragon."

"Should I call back the soldiers?" the Commander asks Trahearne with a concerned frown.

Trahearne frowns.

"We need to find the weakness." Logan grins, glancing at Caithe. "Remember those giant devourers back when we first met you?"

Caithe smiles back. "We stomped the base of their tails."

"Where their main attacks come from," Rytlock adds.

"Mordremoth's strongest weapon is his mind," the Commander realizes. "But how...?"

"The same way it's been attacking us," Canach speaks up. "If we push back rather than simply resisting, it might help."

"No... no," the Commander mutters. "It's attacks come through the Dream. That's why the Nightmare Court seem... less susceptible. I would guess the Soundless feel it even less."

Trahearne opens his mouth to speak, but then he frowns. "The only person that could give us access to the Dream is the Pale Tree, and she... is she still... hurt?"

The Commander frowns. "The only way to find out would be to go to her directly, in the Grove. And if she's not awake, we'll have a real problem. Is there a way for already-awakened sylvari to access the Dream? I mean, aside from when the Pale Tree let us in after Claw Island."

The three sylvari in the room shake their heads.

The Commander frowns, thinking.

"Snaff," Zojja says. "Snaff went into Kralkatorrik's mind with the powerstone laurel. We have more people now, _and_ we have people who've been... training in the art of mind-battles."

"Now that's an idea," Eir realizes, nodding. "But do we have a powerstone laurel?"

Zojja frowns. "No," she sighs at last.

A wide grin breaks out on Logan's face. "But I did bring a hole-in-my-pocket," he informs them, picking the coin-sized ring out of his pocket. "It's the one I used to get to Ebonhawke from Glint's sanctuary," he explains, to shocked looks from his guildmates.

"What's a hole-in-your-pocket?" Taimi asks curiously, peering at the thing.

"A portable asura gate," Zojja grins. "To _anywhere._ "

"Only places that are already known," Rytlock adds.

"Sounds more like a mesmer portal to me," Kasmeer observes.

Zojja frowns. "I suppose you could call it that. Either one works, but that's not the concern. Snaff's powerstone laurel was destroyed when the Branded got to him, and I have no idea what happened to the one on Kralkatorrik."

Caithe smiles. "What if it's still on him?"

The non-Destiny's Edge members in the room are waiting until that group finishes discussing things in DE-language to ask their questions.

"Even if we had the time to build another set," Zojja is saying, "how would we put one _on_ Mordremoth?"

"Capture a turned sylvari?" Canach suggests.

"Well, it can't be a normal sylvari, it might interfere with the signal, going through two minds," Zojja agrees. "And putting the other laurel on a normal sylvari might help their connection, since any sylvari is still connected to Mordremoth. But that still brings us back to the question of how to build a new pair in anything like a timely fashion."

"We don't have to worry about travel time," Logan reminds, "but we also don't want months of preparation like we had with Morgus Lethe."

"Hey, Elder Dragons are a lot harder than dragon champions," the Commander points out. "We should actually be spending _more_ time on preparation."

"If you recall," Rytlock inserts, "we only spent a few hours planning for Kralkatorrik, and Snaff and Glint died."

Caithe frowns. "Mental invasion is going both ways, this time," she reminds everyone. "Sylvari should be left out of the planning stage, or we won't surprise Mordremoth in the slightest."

"The dragons know everything their minions know," the Commander remembers. "No offense, you three."

"None taken," Caithe says instantly. "I've had my whole life to get used to this, you know."

"I just wish you'd _told_ us before it was too late," Braham observes.

"Honestly, though, we should have thought of it on our own," the Commander explains. "A dragon has a plant domain, and the sylvari are... well, sylvari, not to mention nobody knew where they came from..."

"Can we talk about the plan for defeating said dragon?" Braham huffs.

"Problems!" Taimi sighs. "Marshal Trahearne here is obviously a genius at planning an invasion - just look at Orr - but he's also a sylvari, meaning if we want said invasion to work better, he can't be in on the plans."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine without me," Trahearne replies.

Just then, Ceera comes in. "He needs rest," she snaps, shooing them out. "You've been conversing in there forever, and worrying about battles is the last thing he needs right now."

"Looks like we don't get a choice," Rox observes as Ceera hustles them out.

"Well, the first thing to do is cancel the march on Mordremoth - for now," the Commander notes. "I'll take care of that."

* * *

The team tests Logan's hole-in-his-pocket to make sure it works - it does, despite having been inside a Blighting Tree. Then, Zojja and the rest of Destiny's Edge travel to Rata Sum to see if there is anything in Snaff's old lab that would help.

At first, nothing seems relevant - just a couple unfinished golems, which Destiny's Edge recognize as prototypes for Big Snaff and Big Zojja.

"Aha!" Zojja exclaims, upon this being mentioned. "Eir, there should be powerstone laurels in the cockpits."

Eir peers inside the gigantic golems and finds a laurel in each, and brings them to Zojja.

Zojja looks them over. "Hmm. We have two, and they're mostly finished - it shouldn't take long to make them workable - but we have two of the same type. Snaff and I would use these to control our golems. But the requisite powerstone to receive the signal was built-in the golem. The laurel that Glint put on Kralkatorrik was one-of-a-kind. But I do think I could patch these up to function the same way. I'll need time, though. Days, perhaps."

"Could Taimi help?" Eir wonders.

Zojja nods. "Definitely. Can you get her?"

* * *

Eir turns back to the portable asura gate, still glowing on the floor, and steps through.

She finds Braham and Taimi talking to Rox.

"Oh, hi, Eir!" Taimi says upon seeing her. "We were discussing Mordremoth's tactics. It's like Canach said - Mordremoth is playing mind games, and not just with sylvari."

"Oh?" Eir asks.

"When he had us fighting those copies of Logan and Zojja," Rox points out. "It was supposed to be mentally challenging, fight what looks like our friends."

Eir nods. "I think we thwarted him mostly, though. But Taimi, Zojja wants you help. She can explain better than I can."

"On my way!" Taimi replies, scrambling into Scruffy's cockpit.

Eir blinks. ' _She was using Scruffy to get around long before she met Zojja,_ ' Eir realizes. ' _Scruffy is like a miniature Big Taimi._ ' "Taimi, how do you control Scruffy?"

Coming from Scruffy, Taimi's voice sounds metallic. "His controls are just like a normal console or holographic interface. Nothing special."

"Maybe you should talk to Zojja about Scruffy - after her current project. She might have some hints for you," Eir replies amusedly, before leading Taimi back to the portable gate.

* * *

When the two appear back in Snaff's laboratory, Zojja looks up.

"There you are. Taimi, the most important rule for now is not to ask questions on how or why or what, unless you need to follow directions." When Taimi opens her mouth, Zojja cuts her off. "I know it's not normal, but we're pressed for time, and explaining everything would make it ten times longer. I'm not sure I _could_ explain half this stuff the way Snaff could have."

Taimi nods cautiously. "What is it we're doing for now, though?"

"Trying to fix up these powerstone laurels. It's nothing like anything you're taught in Synergetics - these were Snaff's shining jewel, unique. I probably don't know all of his secrets."

"If you're not going to be explaining, why not have Eir or the others help?" Taimi asks.

"Because they won't understand what anything I'm talking about means!" Zojja replies in frustration. "Time is of the essence, we can't allow Mordremoth to rebuild his defenses while we're stuck here talking about the nuances of golden hats!"

The rest of the group try not to laugh at Zojja's explanation and Taimi's obvious confusion.

"Eir," Logan says, turning to the norn. "I'm sure Zojja won't need any help but Taimi's - we should head back to the Pact camp. See what we can do."

"Leave the gate open," Zojja calls, already fiddling with one of the powerstone laurels and giving instructions to Taimi.

* * *

Back at the Pact camp, the Commander is readying the team - minus sylvari - to go spy on Mordremoth's garrisons.

After several days, Zojja and Taimi have a working set of powerstone laurels, and the Commander's group - referred to as the Spawn of Steel (another play on the names Dragonspawn's Destiny and Edge of Steel) - have captured several turned sylvari.

Nobody speaks to these Mordrem Guard, or to any other sylvari regarding their plans, leaving Mordremoth in the dark.

However, false plans of attack and strategy are discussed, with the sylvari present and participating, and pretending to follow them out, thus leading Mordremoth along, or at least confusing him as to their real plans.

But by the time Zojja and Taimi approach the Spawn of Steel with the laurels, the Pact has already had to push back against Mordremoth twice, to prevent the dragon regrowing it's defenses.

Trahearne, recovering much more slowly than Zojja and Logan had, is still doing fairly well, although Ceera insists that he and Logan stay under her care. She would have said the same of Zojja, but the others 'convinced' her that letting Zojja work on the powerstones is the best way to defeat Mordremoth.

Zojja had also found some gray powerstones, which, she reveals, she is planning on using on a Mordrem, to cut off it's connection to Mordremoth. Then she can test the laurels on the disconnected Mordrem to make sure they work.

* * *

After this test is carried out - by which time Trahearne is almost completely recovered - and Zojja learns the intricacies of the powerstone laurels, she briefs the Spawn of Steel on what she knows.

"It's harder to focus on expelling the intruder when you are physically or otherwise occupied with something," Zojja reveals. "What we should do is have the Pact attack Mordremoth, and right at the crux of the battle, start the mental invasion, as well."

"We're putting the invading laurel on a sylvari, right?" Braham checks.

"Yes," Zojja nods. "Unfortunately, we'll have to tell them exactly what they're supposed to be doing, but hopefully this information being sprung on Mordremoth will surprise him. At the same time, we can use the gray powerstones to cut off some of his more powerful minions, hopefully shocking him enough to get a foothold in his mind.

There is some debate as to which sylvari should use the laurel, but eventually everyone - including the sylvari - agree that Trahearne should use it.

"He's gone the farthest along the road to turning, but not turned, than any of us," Caithe explains. "He knows most about the dragon, it's weaknesses, and how to combat them."

"That means I'll be leading the Pact against Mordremoth physically," the Commander sighs. "Not that I dislike doing that," she adds hastily, "but I'd rather be here."

"I understand, Commander," Trahearne replies. "I'm sure Mordremoth will let you all know when it is defeated."

"If not, I'm sure all the Mordrem Guard suddenly recovering their senses will alert us," Canach says dryly.

"And then will come the difficult task of convincing the Pact not to hold the fact that they turned against them," the Commander sighs.

"We'll deal with that problem when it gets here," Eir says firmly.

"We would go with you," Caithe adds, "but I don't think Trahearne should face this battle alone."

"Certainly not!" the Commander replies. "That's why I wanted to stay - nobody can face an Elder Dragon alone. But if I have to go, then you should all stay."

"Not of all of us need to stay," Braham replies. "I'll come with you - this dragon needs to know what a punch to the face feels like."

The Commander smiles tightly. "I'll see if I can arrange that."

Trahearne nods. "Not all of you need to stay. I'm sure some of you would do more good on the front lines than here."

* * *

In the end, it is arranged that Caithe, Canach, Logan, Zojja, Kasmeer, and Taimi will stay with Trahearne, and Braham, Rox, Rytlock, Eir, and Marjory will accompany the Commander and the Pact.

The Pact has been keeping the passage clear, and the Mouth of Mordremoth - which Pact forces have reported is nothing like Zhaitan's Mouths - is exposed to any attack the Pact might make.

Eir follows the Commander down the path, bow ready. Her anxiety is at its peak, enhanced by the fact that Garm is still missing. She refuses to think about what might have happened to him, and instead concentrates on the coming battle.

As the Pact fights the Mordrem commanders, the Commander leads the Spawn of Steel against Mordremoth's physical representation - a long, scaly, snake-like wyrm - from the air. All of them had learned the art of the glider from the Commander while Zojja was building the powerstone laurels, and now they strike at the Mouth of Mordremoth, locating weaknesses and exploiting them.

In the height of battle, the Commander contacts Eir through the communication radios that the Order of Whispers had supplied.

"Eir, you still have those vials of gray powerstones Zojja gave you?"

"Yes, Commander. I'm aiming for Mordremoth."

"No, that would block Trahearne from getting in. Get those Mordrem commanders. Free up the Pact to help us in the air."

"Understood," Eir replies. She glides away from the snake-like representiation of Mordremoth, and flies towards the floating islands where the Pact is fighting the dragon's champions.

She extracts the glass bottle from her pocket and aims for the Mordrem, which is flailing with an axe, and felling many Pact soldiers.

The glass shatters on the thing's head, distracting it for a moment, before Mordremoth roars in fury. The Pact swarms the motionless Mordrem and defeats it, and Eir calls them into the air.

Eir returns to the Commander with the Pact soldiers who had a glider to hand, and the Commander takes charge of them.

Eir finds the other Mordrem commander, which is being fought by a division of the Pact led by Laranthir of the Wild. They are doing much better, and Eir decides not to waste the powerstone liquid on that one.

Just then, Mordremoth roars, a terrible sound that shakes the ground and the air, and knocking Eir out of the sky. She manages to redeploy her glider momentarily, catching her descent before she crashes into an island, but Mordremoth's fury seems unbounded, and her glider crumples, dropping her ten feet to the island below her. She is not harmed - much - nor is her glider unusable, but everything is shaking so bad she decides it is wise to stay low until Mordremoth's anger subsides some.

A few minutes later, the snaky form of Mordremoth plows straight through the island she is on, tearing a great hole through the island. She watches in shock as Mordremoth curls around the island, crumbling it. She falls out the bottom of the loop Mordremoth had trapped her in, and glides away, glad the shaking had stopped.

She regroups with the Commander, who confirms that Trahearne's mental attack has started.

"Our job now is mostly to distract him," the Commander reminds Eir. "Don't bother about dealing fatal wounds, but painful ones. Be as annoying as you can be."

"I'm on it, Commander," Eir replies, saluting.

"Take the explosives the Pact got from the Exalted," Marjory adds. "They are loud, painful, and come with a bright flash."

Eir nods and takes off with the others, pelting Mordremoth with the Exalted explosives - designed to be used from a glider.

Mordremoth twists around in a fury, and his gigantic head sails straight at Eir.

Her glider won't carry her out of the way fast enough, so she disables it and falls out of the way, before redeploying under the dragon's belly. She hurls another explosive as her glider scoots out from under it, the shrapnel from the exploded container raining harmlessly behind her.

She soars back up on an updraft, just clearing the dragon's head again, this time by soaring above.

"Why is he focused on you?" the Commander asks.

"Maybe he's angry that I survived when he planned on killing me," Eir replies.

The dragon comes straight for Eir again, and she manages to toss an explosive in it's face as she drops out of range again.

The dragon roars in pain, thankfully not shaking the world, but still distracted from the mental assault it is undergoing. It curls in on itself, before unraveling speedily, its tail flailing out and knocking everyone out of the sky.

It twists and plunges downward after them. Eir and the others get off shots at it's head, several explosives catching it in the eyes, and one landing in its mouth before going off, much to Mordremoth's surprise.

The Spawn of Steel take the time to fly out of the falling dragon's way, and when Mordremoth comes up again, Eir is crouched behind a boulder on an island.

Mordremoth's snaky body trails behind it's head as it searches for somebody to attack. When its gaze is directed away from Eir, she soars up in the air and drops on the dragon's back. She makes her way toward its head, leaving timed explosives along its spine.

When they begin exploding, Eir is already at its head, and the dragon thinks she is still down by the island. She holds on while the dragon flails, and when no more explode on its back, it thinks she is off of it. But she is still hanging on, and still has a good many explosives with her.

She throws one out just in front of the dragon's nose, where it explodes. While it is recovering from surprise, the Commander and the others throw more in the dragon's face, and Eir plants one at the base of its neck before backing off.

When that one explodes, Mordremoth roars again, though if the timing is coincidental or not Eir does not know, as the explosive just dented the dragon's scales. She does the same thing in the same place, repeatedly, digging a hole in the dragon's scales at the place that is generally weakest.

Then, Marjory cleverly rigs one of her bone minions with a glider and a harness chock-full full of explosives, and directs it to fly down the dragon's throat. Being so small, the bone minion manages that feat with ease, particularly when the others toss more explosives in it's face while it glides in.

When it explodes, at the same time as Eir's latest explosive in the base of the dragon's neck, the dragon roars again, shaking everyone out of the sky.

Eir falls to an island below, and she is certain she broke several bones. The islands and the air are still shaking uncontrollably.

After about five minutes, Eir hears a voice through the communicator.

"Let's do that again!" Rytlock crows.

Marjory laughs. "I don't see why not. It certainly distracted the dragon, and made it angry."

"Go for it, Jory," the Commander replies.

Eir crawls to the edge of the island and drops, deploying her glider, which she can still control with ease, despite not being able to walk.

When Marjory tells them that the minion is on it's way, the others all pelt Mordremoth's face with explosives and quickly land, not wanting to be injured like last time.

This time, the bone minion does not explode until a full five seconds later than last time, and therefore it is deeper inside the dragon when it does.

This time, the islands actually crumble from Mordremoth's rage, and Eir does her best to stay in the air by continually redeploying her glider even when it fails.

This barely works, and she flies to firm ground as soon as she can keep her glider up steadily.

The Pact and the Spawn of Steel gather there, as well, and watch Mordremoth confusedly chasing the falling chunks of island.

"Trahearne's doing well," the Commander notes.

"The bone minions are very expendable, Commander," Marjoy reminds. "I think they do the most good as explosive couriers."

The Commander grins. "Go ahead, Jory. And find any others who can supply expendable 'explosive couriers', as well."

While the necromaners and mesmers are at work doing that, those who are injured are seen to by the medics on the scene.

The explosive method seems to work nicely; Mordremoth is in pain and distracted, and Trahearne is burrowing deeper into the dragon's mind, just as Snaff had once done to Kralkatorrik.

"Alright, stop the explosives. We'll make Mordremoth wonder what happened," the Commander orders.

And indeed, the writhing, very obviously injured dragon seems very suspicious of everything. The Commander's group is hidden by mesmers, and the dragon is suspiciously alone.

After a while, it goes still in the middle of the air, and the Commander orders a renewal of the explosives.

This time, Eir and some others alight on the dragon's back - Mordremoth doesn't seem to realize it - and plant explosives everywhere. And then, several dozen bone minions fly down Mordremoth's mouth at once, exploding simultaneously with the ones outside it's body, and jolting Mordremoth out of the mental battle with Trahearne.

It roars, but everyone is alreaady back on firm ground. The ledge, however, begins crumbling, and everyone scrambles backward.

Then, it curls into a perfect spiral and stays in that general shape, though it is writhing.

The Commander flies out and hovers in front of its face. It seems to be trying to lunge at her - because it does, slightly - but doesn't do anything effectively.

"I think Trahearne has won a victory in the dragon's mind," Eir notes. "The dragon isn't dead yet, though. Maybe we should pack a hundred bone minions down its throat and see what happens then."

The dragon goes out in a rumbling, sky-shaking, terrifying action. It roars so tremendously it is felt even at the main Pact camp where Trahearne is mentally battling the dragon. It then curls up on itself, tighter and tighter. More bone minions explode inside of it, and the bright light of the explosion can be seen out of the dragon's mouth. The dragon squeezes into itself, squishing. And then it falls. Down, down, until suddenly Eir hears a tremendous _BOOM_.

After a beat of absolute silence, the Pact erupts into cheering. The sylvari are the loudest, most shouting some variant of 'he's gone!' or 'I'm free!'

* * *

The Pact returns to the base camp, where a celebration is already being started.

Trahearne and the others who hadn't been with the Commander have wide smiles on their faces, and the group congratulate each other on every point.

Trahearne seems to know exactly how the Commander's fight had gone, purely from how focused Mordremoth was on the mental battle.

The celebration is loud, and even rivals the one held at Fort Trinity after Zhaitan's defeat.

And then, halfway through, Zojja lets out a tortured, long-drawn-out groan.

"Zojja? What's the matter?" Eir asks.

"I know it, they're going to, they're going to, and even Snaff's genius condemns me," Zojja groans.

"Zojja? What's going on?" the Commander asks in confusion.

"They're going to make me an Arcane Councilor, I just _know_ it, it was my invention, they don't know it was Snaff's, and since he's dead they'll give it to me anyway, and Snaff got out of it last time by selling it off as Klab's work because he invented the thing, and..."

Logan, Rytlock, Eir, and Caithe all burst out laughing.

"And _Klab_!" Zojja realizes. "He'll give me director of pest control, and then he'll be free! Oh, no..."

"I'm sure you can decline, Zojja - " the Commander starts.

"It doesn't work like that," Caithe replies. "The best she can do is not return to Rata Sum."

"Or return without anyone knowing," Logan puts in. "Hole-in-your-pockets go undetected, I'm sure. If they're coming, just get out using it, and leave Taimi to tell you when they're gone."

"Oh, Zojja," Rytlock grumbles. "Why can't you just be happy?"

Zojja glares at Rytlock. "I _was_ being happy."

"Actually, she was," Caithe observes. "For Zojja."

"See? Caithe's happy too," Zojja snipes.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

Finally, this story is DONE!

You know how long it's taken me? Months! Since before I started the _Tassof Series_! Of course, the _Tassof Series_ is, most likely, the reason I didn't finish it sooner, but... whatever. (Whatever you! No, wait, wrong story...)

Did you get the reference at the very end? That was hilarious.

Now I have to go make sure the rest of the story is up to my writing standards. They've changed a lot since I started writing, you know. See you when it's posted!


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